Offset mechanism for saw-mill carriages



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sliet 1..

" D. WHITMORE.

OFFSET MECHANISM FOR SAW MILL GARRIAGES.

No. 402,706. Patented May '7, 1889..

Sworn V601 Whwnore N, PEYERS. Phola-Lilhugnpher, Washington. 0:;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. WHITMORE. OFFSET MEGHANISM FOR SAW MILL GARRIAGES.

Patented May '7, 1889.

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DANIEL WHITMORE, or BELLEVUE, IOWA.

OFFSET MECHANISM FOR SAW-MILL CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,706, dated May 7, 1889.

' Application filed September 29, 1888. $erial No. 286,763. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL \VHITMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellevue, in the county of Jackson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Offset Mechanism for Saw-Mill Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in offset mechanism for saw-mill carriages; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a saw-mill carriage with longitudinally-movable head-blocks, and with mechanism for automatically operating the same, and mechanism for moving the same by hand, whereby the log will be moved laterally a sufficient distance to clear the saw before the carriage is moved backward.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a carriage embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my improved saw-mill carriage. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the linea: a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detailed elevation of one of the head-blocks. Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of one of the friction-arms, its arm, and the spring-detent to engage the same.

A represents a pair of longitudinal beams, which are provided on their lower sides, at suitable distances from their ends, with bearings B, in which are journaled axles O. The said axles are provided at their ends with flanged car-wheels D, that engage the usual track, E.

F represents a pair of plates, of suitable length and breadth, which are formed integrally with a cross-bar, G, and have vertical ofisets or shoulders H 011 their'front ends, the inner sides of which are beveled inwardly, as The plates F are arranged on the upper side of the beams A, at a suitable distance from the front ends thereof, and are secured thereon by means of vertical bolts K, which pass through the front and rear ends of the plates and also through the beams A.

L represents a pair of plates,which are simi lar to the plates F, and have offsets M on their upper sides at their rear ends, which are similar to the offsets H. The said plates L are secured on the upper sides of the beams A, near the rear ends thereof, by means of vertical bolts M, which pass through the front and rear sides of the plates and through the beams.

O P represent a pair of head-blocks, which are provided in their upper sides with transverse slots R, and have flanges S, forming the sides of the said slots, which flanges engage corresponding grooves, T, in the sides of a pair of knees or standards, U, the latter being thereby guided on the head-blocks and adapted to move longitudinally on the same. Each knee or standard U is provided on its lower side with a rack-bar, V.

The head-block O is arranged transversely on the plate F, and has at its ends side flanges, WV, which are beveled in opposite directions, and the end plates, X, of the cross-heads bear upon the plates F and are adapted to move transversely thereon. The head-block O has on its under side shoulders Y, which are adapted to engage the opposing inner sides of the plates F, and thereby limit the movement of the head-block. It will be seen by reference to Fig. i that this motion of the headblock is very slight.

On the upper sides of the plates F, at the rear ends thereof, are plates Z, which are provided with open slots A, adapted to receive the bolts K at the rear end of the plates F, and thereby the said plates Z are securely clamped on the plates F. The inner sides of the plates Z are beveled to fit the opposing beveled flanges W' of head-block O, and the latter is thereby fitted or dovetailed on the plates F between the offsets H and the plates Z thereof. I

.The head-block P is provided with crossplates B at its ends on its lower side, which bear upon the plates L and have their ends beveled in opposite directions and projecting beyond the sides of the head-block to form flanges C. The said flanges are engaged by the offsets or shoulders M, and by plates D, which are similar to the plates Z. The headblcck Pis further provided on its lower side, near its ends, with shoulders or stops E,

which are adapted to engage the inner sides of the plates L, and thereby limit the longitudinal movement of the said head-block.

F represents a longitudinal shaft, which is journaled in hearings in the cross-bars that connect the plates F and L. The said shaft is provided at its ends, on the outer sides of the said cross-bars,with aligned cams G, the same being keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the said shaft. On the outer side of the headblocks 'are plates Il H which are secured thereto by means of bolts 1 and are arranged on opposite sides of the cams and adapted to engage therewith. To the extreme front end of the shaft F is secured an arm, K, which has an open slot, L. M represents an arm,which is secured to the said shaft, near the center thereof.

N represents a longitudinal shaft, which is journaled in bearings in the head-blocksP O, and is thereby adapted to move with the said head-blocks and to rotate therein. Secured to the said shaft are pinions O which are arranged between the sides of the head-blocks and engage the racks V of the knees or standards U. Secured to the said shaft N, near the center thereof, is a ratchet-wheel, P.

R represents a hand-lever, which is loosely mounted on the shaft N, and has a pivoted dog, S, that is adapted to engage the ratchetwheel. A sleeve, T, is loosely mounted on the shaft N, and has at its inner end an arm,U, provided with a peripheral notch, V, and at the opposite end of the said sleeve is an arm, \V, which is connected to the arm M of the shaft F by means of links X.

Y represents a curved arm,which is secured on one of the beams A, and extends inwardly therefrom. The said arm has on one side a recess or opening, Z, in which the level-R is adapted to play. A bell-crank lever, A is fulcrumed to the lever R, an d a bolt, B slides on the said handlever, is adapted to engage the notch V of the arm U, and is connected to the bell-crank lever by means of a linkrod,C The notched or recessed arm G is adapted to limit the play of the hand-leve1z D represents a rock-shaft, which is journaled in bearings E secured on the upper sides of the beams A, near the front ends thereof. An arm, F is secured to the said rock-shaft and is adapted to engage the open slot of the arm K, and secured to the ends of the rocleshaft and depending therefrom are a pair of friction-arms, G or shoes, which are provided on their lower ends with frictionstraps H that are made of leather or other suitable material and have their ends secured to the front and rear sides of the friction-arms by means of belts or screws. The said friction-arms are of sufficient length to come in contact with the treads of the track-rails. From one of the friction-arms G extends an arm, K, which is adapted to engage the springdetent L that is pivoted on one of the beams A, whereby the rockshaft may be secured in such a position as to raise the lower ends of the friction-arms from contact with the trackrails.

The operation of my invention is as follows: \Vhen the carriage is at the inner end of the track and at a distance from the saw, (not shown,) the friction-arms G are inclined forward and the rock-shaft D holds the arm F in a slightly-depressed position, and said arm being in engagement with the arm K of rockshaft F maintains the latter in position with its cams bearing against the inner sides of the plates or stops 1]., thereby causing the head-blocks to be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1. The sawlog is placed on the head-block and the operator disengages the bolt B from the notched arm S and operates the hand-lever in such manner as to cause the pivoted dog to turn the ratchet-wheel in one direction, and thereby impart rotary motion to the shaft N and transmit longitudinal motion to the knees or standards U, by causing the pinions O to engage the racks V, thus moving the saw log nearly into the path of the saw. WVhen the carriage started forward, its friction-aims, being in engagement with the track-rails, are caused by the initial movement of the carriage to turn to a rearward inclination, as represented in dotted lines in. Fig. 3, and thereby partly rotate the rock-shaft D and cause the latter to lower its arm F The said arm lowers the arm K and partly rotates the shaft F in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1, thereby causing the cams of the said shaft to engage the plates or steps II and move the head-block a slight distance in the direction opposite that indicated by the arrow a, thus moving the sawlog into the path of the saw, the said head blocks being maintained in this position while the saw is passing through the log and saw ing off aboard therefrom. lVhen the carriage starts backward, after the saw has passed through the log, the friction-arms G are returned to their initial forwardly-inclined posi tion by contact with the track-rails, thereby partly turning the rock-shaft D and depress ing the arm F and causing the latter to de press the arm K, partly rotate the shaft F" in the opposite direction. to that indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1, and causing the cams to engage the plates H. and thereby move the heactblocks in the direction indicated by the arrow at, and causing the sawlog to be moved laterally a slight distance sufficient to clear it of the saw.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the machine is automaticin its operation and causes the head-blocks to move the saw-log laterally from the saw at the initial reverse movement of the carriage.

If it be desired to effect this operation of the head-blocks by hand-power, the same may be accomplished by causing the bolt B to engage the notched arm K and by operating the hand-lever, so as to partly rotate the shaft N and cause the shaft F to turn with the shaft IIO N, this being accomplished by the arms 1 and W and the links X, which connect the said arms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with a carriage, of the head-blocks movable laterally thereon, the shaft F, journaled in rigid supports and having the cams engaging the head-blocks, the rock-shaft journaled on the carriage and having the friction-arms adapted to engage the track-rails, and devices, substantially as set forth, connecting the said rock-shaft to the shaft F, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a saw-mill carriage, of the laterally-movable head-blocks, knees or standards guided in said blocks and having the racks, the shaft N, journaled in and connecting the head-blocks and having the pinions engaging the racks, the ratchetwheel secured to the said shaft, the sleeve loose on said shaft and having arm WV, the hand-lever loosely mounted on the shaft and having the dog to engage the ratchet-wheel and the locking device to engage the sleeve, the shaft F, having the cams engaging the head-blocks, the arm M, secured to said shaft F, and the links connecting said arms with the arm WV, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the carriage having the plates or castings, the laterally-movable head-blocks dovetailed in said plates or castings, the knees or standards guided in the head-blocks, the shaft N, journaled in the head-blocks and movable therewith, said shaft being geared to the knees or standards, the ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft, the shaft F, journaled in=-fixed supports and connected to and adapted to operate the h eadblocks, the

sleeve loose on shaft N, connections between the said sleeve and the shaft F, whereby the same maybe partly rotated simultaneously, and the hand-lever loosely mounted on shaft N and having the dog to engage the ratchetwheel and the locking device to engage the sleeve, substantially as described.

' 4. The combination, with the carriage, of the laterally-movable head-blocks, the shaft F, journaled in fixed supports and having the cams engaging the head-blocks, and provided, further, with the arm K, the rock-shaft journaled on the carriage and having the arm F engaging arm K, and the friction-arms secured to the rock-shaft and adapted to engage the track rails, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the carriage, of the laterally-movable head -blocks thereon, the shaft F, journaled in fixed supports and having the cams or devices engaging the headblocks, the arm K, secured to the shaft F and having the open slot L, the rock-shaft journaled on the carriage and having the arm F to engage slot L, the friction-arm secured to the rock-shaft and adapted to engage the track-rails, one of said friction-arms having the arm K and the detent L secured to the carriage and adapted to engage said arm, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL WHITMORE.

Witnesses:

T. Gno. WEIRIcK, HARRY WoRK. 

